Re-usable label



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REUSABLE LABEL NEW WAYNf-54 DEPT. STORE CHICAGO, ILL.

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Patented Aug. 7, 1951 FFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in structural renements in labels, more particularly, adhesive labels, and ythe principal object or the invention is to substantially increase the utility of such labels by permitting them to be re-employed after their initial use.

This object is achieved by the provision of a label which embodies in its construction a set of superimpose strips which are attached together by adhesive and wherein the bottom strip in the set is also adhesively coated so that the entire label may be aixed to an article which is to be identified, and wherein the additional strip or strips which are superimposed on the bottom strip may be individually removed, either to be discarded cr reaemployed for subsequent use.

Basically the utility of this arrangement falls in two relatively opposite directions, although the structure remains substantially the same. In one instance, the bottom strip of the label is plain while the superimposed strip carries a suitable inscription, such as for example, a return address. When this type of the label is used, it may be affixed as a whole to a forwarding envelope by the sender, so as to provide an appropriate return address. When the forwarding envelope reaches the hands or" a recipient, the latter may simply remove the superimposed strip bearing the address and apply this strip to a return envelope, thus using the inscription on the strip as the forwarding address.

ln another embodiment of the invention, the bottom strip may be imprinted, for example, with the name and address of a store and the label as a whole may be applied to an article of merchandise, after lwhich the price of the merchandise may be written on the superimposed strip. When the article of merchandise is sold, the superimposed strip may be Simp-ly removed, thus eliminating the price identication and exposing only the name and address of the store for advertising purposes.

It should, of course, be understood that these examples of the use of the invention are given for illustrative purposes only, the invention being applicable to many other allied uses. With the above outline in View, the invention resides substantially in the structural arrangement disclosed in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is an elevational view showing the invention embodied in a roll from which individual labels may be severed in any conventional manner;

Figure 2 is a plan view showing one of the labels applied to a forwarding envelope;

Figur-e 3 is a plan view showing a portion of the label illustrated in Figure 2 as being applied to a return envelope;

Figure 4 is an elevational view showing a modied'einbodiment of the invention in a roll form;

Figure 5 is a plan view illustrating one of the labels shown in Figure fi as being applied to an article or merchandise; and

lFigure 6 is a plan view of the subject shown in Figure 5, with the top strip of the label removed.

Lilie characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, more particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the invention consists of a label designated gen-` erally by the reference character lil, the same consisting of a bottom strip l2 and a top strip l which is superimposed on the bottom strip, the under surface of the top strip being provided with a coat of pressure-sensitive adhesive as indicated at l5, whereby the top strip may be separably attached to the upper surface of the bottom strip I2.

Similarly, the undersurface of the bottom strip is provided with a coat of pressure-'sensitive adhesive It, whereby the entire label lll may be readily alihred to an article which is to be identied, such as for example, to a forewarding envelope 2t. When the invention is so employed, ithe top strip lli may be printed with an address of the sender as illustrated at 22, while the name and address ci the intended recipient appears on the forwarding envelope ZS in the conventional manner, as indicated at 24.

When the forwarding envelope 2t reaches the hands of the recipient and the latter prepares an envelope 2G for reply by inscribing his return address thereon as at 28, the recipient may simply separate the top strip lli of the label il! from the bottom strip I2 and afx the top strip to the return envelope 26, whereby the top strip, after performing its initial use by providing the return address on the forwarding envelope, may perform a further use by providing a forwarding address on the return envelope. Needless to say, the recipient, by using the invention in the same manner as the sender, may eliminate the necessity of writing his return address 28, and in a similar manner the sender may then eliminate the necessity of writing the forwarding address 24 if the invention is employed at both ends of the correspondence.

As is illustrated in Figure l0, the label l0 may be supplied to the user in a roll form as at 30,

3 from which roll the individual labels may be severed as required.

Referring now to the modified embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying Figures 4 6, inclusively, the label herein disclosed is designated by the general reference character 40, being preferably supplied in a roll form as at 42.

As in the embodiment already described, the label 4U consists of a bottom strip 44 and a top strip 46 which is superimposed on the bottom strip and is separably attached thereto by pressure-sensitive adhesive 48, the bottom strip 44 being, in turn, provided with a coating of adhesive 50 whereby the entire label may be aflixed to an article of merchandise indicated at 52.

In this embodiment of the invention, the bottom strip 44 may be imprinted With the name and address of the store or dealer as indicated at 54, which inscription is fully covered by the top strip 46 as long as the latter remains ailixed to the bottom strip.

Under such circumstances the top strip 45 may be inscribed with any suitable indicia to designate the catalogue number of the article of merchandise as exemplified at 5B, or to designate the cost of the merchandise as indicated at 58, and when the article is sold, the top strip 46 may be simply removed from the bottom strip 44, thus leaving only the name and address of the store on the article for advertising purposes.

Needless to say, while in the foregoing disclosure the labels I0 and 40 consist of only 'two superimposed strips, three or more of such strips may be provided in superimposed relation, if the label is to be used for more than two purposes or in more than two capacities.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing disclosure and, accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a forwarding and return envelope, a reusable address label comprising a bottom strip and a top strip superimposed thereon, said top strip being inscribed with the return address of the sender and having an adhesively coated undersurface whereby it is separably attached to the upper surface of said bottom strip, said bottom strip having markings thereon and also having 'an adhesively coated undersurface whereby together with said top strip it may be attached to a forwarding envelope, said top strip being separable from said bottom strip and being attachable by the adhesive undersurface thereof to a return envelope.

GERALD E. KELLY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 581,494 Schwab Apr. 27, 1897 2,094,428 Fulton Sept. 28, 1937 2,405,511 Moen Aug. 6, 1946 2,532,011 Dahlquist Nov. 28, 1950 

